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Every Nigerian must have a national identity card by 2015-Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan has declared that he wants every Nigerian to have his/her national identity card by 2015. The president made this known in Abuja … Continue reading Every Nigerian must have a national identity card by 2015-Jonathan


President Goodluck Jonathan has declared that he wants every Nigerian to have his/her national identity card by 2015.

The president made this known in Abuja on Tuesday, while speaking at the inauguration of the new board of the National Population Commission (NPC).

The new NPC team is headed by former Managing Director of the Nigerian Breweries Limited, Eze Festus Odimegwu.

The president charged the NPC teamm on what he called two sensitive population issues, first is that they must ensure that every Nigerian gets his national identity card by 2015 and that they should set up a committee to advocate the need to manage the population.

He also expressed his desire to see the nation’s vast population and human resources, utilised as an asset for national development, “if properly managed”, he added.

President Jonathan told the new leadership of the NPC to find out how countries that have similar population as Nigeria are able to manage it in the same manner countries with small population have.

He urged the new commission to go beyond just census and come up with advocacy programmes that to encourage Nigerians to have the number of children they can manage.

Recalling that the last census was carried out with cutting edge technology, the president called on the NPC to do better by raising the ante.

The new chairman of the NPC and his commissioners later filed out in batches for the oath and signed the dotted lines as well as received the presidential handshake.

The new chairman in his address dispelled anticipated worries on how a former brewer will manage the affairs of the population commission.

The United Nation Population Fund (UNFP) claims Nigeria is the sixth most populous nation in the world with an estimated population of 167 million people. It is estimated that the population will increase to 200 million in the next four decades.

Experts have called for a proper knowledge of all the data that goes with such huge population, to enhance government budget and plan properly, as well as effectively provide services for the people.